Indiscipline in schools: Arresting the problem

Among those listed were rehabilitation centres in each district, parental involvement, training for principals and deans, discipline matrix and literacy and numeracy classes.

Since these initiatives were started well over 15 years ago (see Secondary Education Modernisation Programme, 2000, 2002, 2005), the question which has to be answered is: “Why have these reforms failed to take roots or to impact the system?”? Unless ministry officials address this question they will continue to flounder and “waste its sweetness in the desert air.” Years ago, principals were mandated, as part of their school development plans, to institute parent-teacher associations (PTAs) in their schools (see Local School Board Regulations, 2000). Why are we, in 2017, still calling on schools to establish such organisations? Perhaps the real question is why these organisations are not functional or why they have had little or no impact on the system except when there are physical problems? In some schools there is no more than ten parents at a PTA meeting. What changes in legislation are therefore needed in order to involve parents and the community in the decision-making processes in schools? We have had successful intervention programmes all over the world (eg Comer process, accelerated schools, improving the quality of education for all ). All of them have utilised parents, communities, universities, and governing councils.

The ministry itself had its own programme of Restructuring and Decentralisation (2004). Yet, after nearly 20 years, the structure of most schools has hardly changed — no school management team, no parental or community input, no development of a learning community, no monitoring of school progress.

The 35 schools with discipline problems are most likely underperforming schools which may have problems ranging from incompetent principals to lack of structures.

These schools need help immediately, and regurgitation of initiatives is not likely to produce positive results.

What these officials ought to be telling the population is how they are operating which is different from their operations in the past — how they are dealing with underperforming officials, supervisors, principals, teachers, performance management and schools; what is being done with a ministry which is itself impervious to change and any realignment of culture.

We can no longer afford to use words like, “We are looking at,” “We are thinking about,” and “We intend to.” These are really covert words to convey the impression that something is being done.

Dr Patrick Quan Kep via email